Related Articles

Criminology is the study of crime, how society perceives crime and how to prevent crime. The psychological, hereditary and environmental aspects of crime are major research areas in criminology. Criminology is considered to be a branch of sociology, but clearly overlaps with psychology, cultural anthropology and law enforcement as well. Criminal justice and criminology have developed into diverse fields in the 21st century, and a wide range of careers are possible.

Police Detective

Police officers, especially detectives, need to be well versed in criminology. Studying criminology gives police officers an understanding of the criminal mind, so they can anticipate and prevent crime, as well as track down the perpetrators of crime. Classes in criminology impart important skills, such as knowledge of the law and the criminal justice system, and effective interviewing techniques. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, police officers earned an annual median salary of $55,010 in 2010.

Correctional Officer

Correctional officers are employed by jails, prisons and juvenile detention facilities, and most are expected to have some background in criminology. Criminology programs include sections on criminal psychology, as well as behavior modification and rehabilitation -- providing correctional officers with the skills they need to do their job. The BLS reported that corrections officers took home a median annual salary of $39,040 in 2010.

Probation or Parole Officer

Probation and parole officers supervise offenders who have been sentenced to probation or released on parole after serving their sentences. Probation officers evaluate offenders, arrange treatment programs and other rehabilitation, and help offenders reintegrate into society. Most probation and parole officers have a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, social work or psychology, and have some academic background in criminology. Probation officers earned a median salary of $47,200 a year in 2010, according to the BLS.

Criminologist

A criminologist is a sociologist specializing in criminology. The work involves researching normal social behaviors and how various factors cause deviation from normal behaviors. Criminologists work with law enforcement professionals, analyzing and interpreting the behavior of individuals to help apprehend criminals, hypothesize motives and predict patterns for behaviors. Ultimately, their work helps to improve law enforcement methods. Statistics play a big role in the job of a modern criminologist, but the statistics are filtered through an understanding of psychological and sociological patterns of behavior. According to the BLS, sociologists, including criminologists, earned a median salary of $72,360 a year in 2010.

Resources (1)

About the Author

Clayton Browne has been writing professionally since 1994. He has written and edited everything from science fiction to semiconductor patents to dissertations in linguistics, having worked for Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Steck-Vaughn and The Psychological Corp. Browne has a Master of Science in linguistic anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.